Looking at ‘climate breakdown’

SIR: Last Wednesday Jeremy Corbyn and Rebecca Long Bailey of the Labour Party visited Southampton and gave speeches in a packed 18/65 Club.

Many supporters of Southampton and Romsey Extinction Rebellion were present. In an inspiring speech Jeremy developed the theme that the climate movement and the labour movement can not be separate anymore.

Because the root causes of climate breakdown and worker exploitation are one and the same. That a complete societal overhaul is needed to implement the changes that are essential in the time we have left.

This will only be achieved by a movement and a political parties that have the will and the ability to hold large corporations and fossil fuel executives to account.

When reading last Friday’s Guardian newspaper I was reminded of Corbyn’s prophetic words. A report in that paper stated that an independent research group carried out a study of the 250 biggest investor owned industrial corporations and trade associations.

It found that while industry releases statements that support climate initiatives, such as increased electrification, it has been pouring millions of dollars into lobbying efforts to challenge attempts to tackle global heating. It revealed that the strongest opponents were 33 huge corporations.

Six were global car manufacturing companies and the rest were mainly oil, gas and energy companies.

Philip Griffiths,

Lawes Walk, Romsey

History exhibition

SIR: A big thank you to Victoria Burbidge and Marc Thompson for the wonderful exhibition they put on in the town hall on Saturday 5th October and Monday the 7th remembering all those brave men from Romsey and surrounding area’s who gave their lives in the 1st and 2nd world wars seeing all those brave men and their stories was so inspiring.Thank you both again for all the hours of work that you put in to to tell the stories of these brave men.

Martyn Reid,

The Avenue,

Fareham

Town development

SIR: Some Romsonians may have been overjoyed to read press releases (in your editions of the 4th and 11th October), of the pleasure and excitement of the Leader and his deputy of Test Valley Borough Council when they contemplate their schemes to re-develop not only land the Council owns but also that of others south of The Hundred.

No-one would think that Romsey had its own elected representatives on that Council, or that there were Romsey Town Council and Romsey Extra Parish Council (where many of the people live), who surely have a major role. Neither the Leader or Deputy Leader was elected to represent Romsey.

Rumour has it that the Crosfield Hall (given to the Town), Edwina Mountbatten House (paid for with money raised across Hampshire) and the public toilets are all on the hit-list.

The carefully chosen 50 on the so-called public consultative” Citizens’ Assembly”will be oiled with four free lunches and as much coffee as they can drink and £300 as a “thank you” present.

Surely some would have done it for nothing.

Romsonian

British Red Cross

SIR: You never know how you would act in an emergency, yet our actions could save a life.

This is why I think it’s fantastic that, after 10 years of campaigning by the British Red Cross, it will be compulsory for first aid skills to be taught in all state schools in England from 2020.

It’s an impactful way to give young people the confidence they need to help someone.

As parents, Ben and I are so thrilled our children will be able to learn these important skills so that they never feel completely helpless in an emergency situation.

It’s also a relief knowing that if anything were to happen to them in the future, more people might be able to help.

So many women I know, especially those weaning their babies, are terrified of the possibility of their child choking.

But children learning first aid could make all the difference if one of their younger siblings was choking at home.

This new legislation, however, is just for schools in England.

At the moment teaching first aid in schools in the rest of the UK is optional.

We support the British Red Cross’s calls for it to become a compulsory part of the curriculum throughout the UK so all school children get the same chance to learn how to save a life.

Marina Fogle